KANSAS CITY (special envoy).- Everyone hugging in the crescent in front of the Argentine fans. This is how Messi and his teammates ended after the team’s unforgettable debut in the World Cup 2026with a brilliant captain and a team that invites you to dream big. After celebrating for several minutes, the players headed to the goal where Messi He scored the second and third goals. Arms raised, applause, jumping and a communion that seems to have never been interrupted since the World Cup in Qatar.
Three hours before the start of the match, the doors of the imposing stadium opened. Truman Sports Complexwhere two stadiums are located, one next to the other. From the four-lane highway that connects to the city center, you can first see the house of Kansas City Royalsthe popular baseball team of the city of the state of Missouri. A few meters away stands the other three-ringed giant, where it plays Kansas City Chiefs of American football, and which was transformed into one of the World Cup venues and the stadium that hosted the first match of the Argentine team.
Interstates 70 and 435, the main access roads to the Arrowhead Stadium They began to fill up with cars with light blue and white flags and honking horns at noon. In the morning, the quiet center of the city was filled with Argentines who arrived in the last hours, especially from cities like Miami either New York. There was also a flood of fans who traveled directly from Argentina.
Although 90% of the stadium was filled with fans of the national team, many of them were foreigners living in this country and even Americans stood out. They all came to see Messi, the biggest star who says goodbye to the World Cup here and who had a consecrating night. He became the record man of the six World Cups, scoring a great goal in the first half and two more in the second, to show that he is still valid.
Harry was born in Texas and Susannabelly in the air with a seven-month pregnancy, in Buenos Aires. They live together in Nebraska and since they found out that the team was going to play in Kansas, they bought the tickets and reserved accommodation for this date. “Today we won, now I am Argentine and my daughter will be too”Harry highlighted.
Four Guatemalans living in Chicago entered the stadium with emotion. They were all dressed with the 10 on their backs. “We are fans of the team of the first hour, we love Messi and the Argentines“, they said in chorus.
Family members of the players were mixed among the fans. Among them, the father and brother of “Dibu” Martínez, “Beto” and Alejandro, the mother and wife Giuliano Simeone, Carolina Baldini and Eva Bargielaand Julián Álvarez’s brother, Agustín. They are also the subject of greetings, requests for photos and autographs. The families of “Cuti” Romero, Nicolás Tagliafico and Enzo Fernández were also present. And of course the “first lady”, Antonela Roccuzzo, could not be missing. Messi’s wife arrived with her children, Mateo, Ciro and Thiago and part of the captain’s family.
Although at the exit the majority tried to maintain restraint and understand that it is very difficult to achieve a two-time world championship (the last to achieve this was Brazil 64 years ago), Messi’s performance at Arrowhead Stadium invites us to dream big.
“Why not get excited about becoming champions again. We have a great team and the best player in the world“said Diego, who arrived a couple of days ago from Resistencia, Chaco, in a hoarse voice from shouting so much. With him, three other friends who accompanied him on this excursion to the United States celebrated the victory but also the idea of traveling to their first World Cup.
The national team’s classics played again in the stands. The hit “Muchachos” only changed its lyrics regarding Qatar: it now says “We already won the third, we are already World champion“He who does not jump is an Englishman” sounded loudly and the most emotional moment was experienced with the singing of the national anthem.
The price of the tickets made it possible for the 70,000 locations were not complete. In the last few hours, fans of the national team tried to fight for resale with some tickets and waited until the last minute for the price to drop. Hours before the start of the meeting, the most expensive ones were selling for around $700. That’s why many of those who came to Kansas City chose to watch the game at the FanFest from downtown and save the dollars for upcoming dates in Dallas, versus Austria and Jordan.
In one of the least fan-friendly World Cups, the Argentine public is already making plans for the next season. Dallas, Texas, will host the team’s next two group stage matches, against Austria next Monday the 22nd, and against Jordan, on Saturday the 27th.
There the trademark of each flag blow will be repeated in the preview of the matches. As already happened in Kansas City, where nearly 10,000 people gathered for three hours on Monday, groups of WhatsApp of the fans who live the World Cup have already begun to make plans for next weekend.
